Berlin’s Ada Health raises $47M to become the Alexa of healthcare

Ada Health, the AI-driven app which works a little like an ‘Alexa for health’, has raised a $47M (€40M) funding round led by Access Industries, Len Blavatnik’s global investment group. Joining the round in the Berlin-HQ’d startup was June Fund and Berlin-based Cumberland VC. Fascinatingly, William Tunstall-Pedoe, the AI entrepreneur who came up with the Siri-like “Evi” app which was then acquired by Amazon and incorporated into what became Alexa, also participated in this round, as did existing investors.

The funds will be used to improve the product, hire staff and open a new office in the U.S.

Ada has become one of the world’s fastest-growing medical apps in 2017. In a chat interface, it helps people decipher their ailments, but then also connects them with real doctors. In development for six years, they aim to improve access to healthcare globally, with the idea that in the future an AI starts the process of personalising your healthcare until a doctor takes over, and has access to a pre-diagnosis.

Since its launch in late 2016, the company says over 1.5 million people have used it.

Daniel Nathrath, CEO and co-founder of Ada Health says: “The future of healthcare lies in a much more patient-centric model where individuals have actionable insights at their fingertips, and doctors and artificial intelligence work together to support patients throughout their healthcare journey.”

Guillaume d’Hauteville, Vice Chairman, Access Industries said: “They’ve developed a unique and highly effective health management solution driven by a team with deep medical and AI expertise and years of technology development.”